Irrigation circles or wheels have for many years been changing the face of irrigation and greatly enhance the ability to minimize the labor required to monitor and move irrigation pipe. While much of the description regarding this invention may be directed to an embodiment for what are known as irrigation circles, this invention is not so limited, but instead had embodiments which may be applied for other irrigation systems, and outside of irrigation.
A typical irrigation circle includes several tower frameworks supported by one or more wheels and/or tires which pitted or circle around a central axis. Some pivot 180° and reverse, while others have it in a 360° circle.
It has been known for many years that one problem which has yet to be solved is that because the tires which support the irrigation towers operate within such a wet environment, they tend to sink into the mud created by the irrigation, create tracks, create dirt mounds and numerous other problems which impede the ability to harvest or remove the crop from the field. Despite this long-felt need in recognition of the problem, no solutions as effective as the one presented by embodiments of the present invention have been developed. These ruts or deep tracks may develop into the soil one or two feet deep resulting in significant issues keeping the irrigation moving through the field and/or causing excess wear or stress on the equipment.
A significant recognition of the need and of the rut problem has resulted in many different attempts to come up with a solution, all of which go in directions different than this invention—i.e. they teach away from this wheel system. Some prior systems have attempted to utilize more tires, which results in more but smaller rocks and more field area lost to the additional rocks. Others have attempted to devise different traction devices, such as different tread patterns and protrusions on the tires and wheels to help prevent them from getting stuck in the mud, or to provide them additional traction or leverage to help remove them from the mud rut once they are stuck. Generally these prior attempts have been either more expensive and/or less effective than desired.
It is therefore an object of embodiments of this invention to provide a wheel system for irrigation systems such as circles which greatly reduces or eliminates some or all of the problems associated with traditional prior art tires creating significant ruts and buildup of dirt around the ruts, under irrigation piping, and in some more particular embodiments, under irrigation circles.
It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that while the specification is primarily directed to an embodiment of the invention for irrigation circles, this invention is not so limited and may be applied or used on other irrigation systems and configurations.
While the invention was motivated in addressing some objectives, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretative or other limiting reference to the specification, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents. Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of this invention, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible to change in design and structural arrangement, with only one practical and preferred embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as required.